Mexican Christmas Traditions

How to make chipotle mayo

22 · Jan 19, 2015 · Leave a Comment

Chipotle mayo is a condiment that you can easily make at home — so you can make it as mild or as spicy as you want! You probably already have all the ingredients at home, too.

Some condiments that are commonplace in Mexico, such as chipotle mayo, can be tough to find in mainstream grocery stores in the United States. Although I've always lived in cities where I had access to a Mexican grocery store, not all of them carry the brands I like, so I began making my own at home because I always have the ingredients handy anyhow. And considering it takes less than 10 minutes to whip up, I love that I can adjust how spicy it is with ease depending on my mood or what I plan to spread my chipotle mayo on....

Roasted jalapeño hummus

8 · Jan 12, 2015 · 1 Comment

This post is part of a compensated campaign with McCormick Spices. All opinions and the recipe here are my own.

Roasted jalapeño hummus is a quick, easy, healthy snack you can make at home in about 15 minutes.

While this might look like any old regular hummus, the roasted jalapeño, garlic and cumin give it a mellowed, spicy kick for a different flavor than traditional, plain hummus. This anything-but-typical dip is great served with pita bread, pita chips, or tortilla. chips. And in 2015, this snack — which is a fusion of Middle Eastern and Mexican flavors — is actually trendy! Middle Eastern dips and spreads are one of the global food trends in this year's Flavor Forecast from McCormick Spices.

It’s quite easy to work most of these trends into your daily cooking routines, but I challenge you to try to incorporate at least one trend per week. Chances are, if you're a Mexican food enthusiast, you may already be cooking according to some of these trends — in which case, congratulations for being accidentally cool!

Check out the full McCormick Flavor Forecast 2015 and get inspired to get cooking with recipe suggestions galore.

There are eight flavor trends to watch in the 15th annual McCormick Flavor Forecast, and here, I'm sharing my five favorites and how you can apply them with Mexican cuisine in your own kitchen.

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Cotija and chile-spiced palomitas

11 · Dec 19, 2014 · 2 Comments

You can’t have a family movie night without a great snack! I love making up my own popcorn flavors, so this cheesy chile-spiced palomitas recipe is just what I want for a night in with the family and my Netflix account.

popcorn with lime, chile powder and cotija cheese

When I got an air popper several years ago, I stopped buying microwave popcorn. The beauty of freshly popped popcorn made with an air popper is that you can make as little (or as much) as you want, and you can dress it up differently each time you make popcorn! And you’re not getting any chemical additives either, so you won’t feel unhealthy eating it. If you don't have an air popper, you can also easily make the popcorn on the stovetop without any oil.

RELATED: Mexican snacks for a crowd

I love to mix and match flavors all the time, but one of my favorite combinations is melted butter, chile powder, queso cotija and a little squeeze of fresh lime juice. Sometimes, I substitute the chile powder for a liquid hot sauce such as salsa Búfalo or Tapatío. If I’m feeling like something really spicy, I might even use a habanero salsa!

RELATED: Roasted chickpeas with Tajín

Ingredients to make Mexican-style cotija and chile-spiced popcorn

The wonderful thing about this recipe is that since the queso cotija is already salty, you really don’t need to add any extra salt. If you do like your popcorn pretty salty, though, I recommend swapping the unsalted butter for salted before you go sprinkling any more salt on the popcorn.

I love to munch on these spicy and tangy palomitas while watching all kinds of different movies, from classic cine mexicano to 80s movies to animated flicks with the younger members of my family.

RELATED: A guide to Mexican limes

Cotija and chile-spiced palomitas

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Author: Maura Wall Hernandez
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 2-4 servings 1x
Category: snacks
Cuisine: Mexican

Print Recipe

Description

Turn a street food favorite into a family movie night snack! Make your popcorn spicy and tangy with grated queso cotija, chile powder, melted butter and a little squeeze of lime juice!

Ingredients

Scale

½ cup popcorn kernels, popped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
¼ cup Cacique queso cotija, grated
Chile quebrado, Tajín or your choice of chile powder, to taste
Optional: A squeeze of fresh key lime juice

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Instructions

In an air popper, pop ½ cup of popcorn kernels into a large bowl and set aside. (See notes below if you do not have an air popper.)
Grate ¼ cup queso cotija with a medium-grain cheese grater.
Combine queso cotija and chile quebrado or chile powder in a small dish.
Melt butter in a microwave-safe dish at 15-second intervals, then pour over popcorn in the large bowl.
Sprinkle the mixture of queso cotija and chile powder over the buttered popcorn and toss well, using a large spoon.
Optional: To add a bright, citrusy flavor, squeeze 1-2 key limes over the top of the dressed popcorn and toss to incorporate.

Notes

If you can't find key limes (the tiny kind), you can substitute with the juice of ¼ of a large lime.

If you don’t have an air popper, you can make the popcorn on the stovetop without any oil. You'll need a deep pot with a lid. Pour the popcorn kernels in the bottom of the pot and heat over medium heat, gently shaking the pot every 30 seconds until the popcorn begins to pop. It will take around 4-5 minutes before the popcorn starts popping. Once it does, gently shake at 10 second intervals until the popping slows down. Remove from heat, shake a little bit more, then allow to sit for about 1 minute before you remove the lid. Most of the popcorn should be popped, with very few kernels left.

Huevos al albañil

42 · Dec 19, 2014 · 3 Comments

This post is part of a compensated campaign with BUSH’S Cocina LatinaTM and Latina Bloggers Connect but all opinions and the recipe here are my own.

Holiday vacation is my favorite time of year because it means I have time to make a special breakfast every day! This version of huevos al albañil, also known as bricklayer’s eggs, is a popular breakfast dish in Mexico.

The key to what makes huevos al albañil different from other egg dishes is that the eggs are scrambled and mixed with salsa, and cooked together so the salsa fuses with the eggs. They shouldn’t be too soupy when cooked; just wet enough that the salsa keeps everything moist. Whether you prefer to use salsa verde or salsa roja is up to you! The dish is served layered from the bottom up with a fried tortilla, beans, a scrambled egg and salsa mixture and then toppings such as crema mexicana and queso cotija, if desired.

RELATED RECIPE: Trenza de huevo con chorizo...

Roasted chickpeas with tajin

47 · Nov 28, 2014 · 1 Comment

Roasted chickpeas (also known in Spanish as garbanzos) with Tajín, lime juice and cumin is an easy, healthy snack that’s also naturally gluten-free and vegan-friendly.

A roasted chickpea recipe made with safflower or grapeseed oil, lime juice, tajín and ground cumin. Gluten-free and vegan-friendly! Get the full recipe on theothersideofthetortilla.com.

I prefer to use safflower or grapeseed oil, which are great for cooking with high heat, but you can also substitute canola oil if that’s all you have handy. Just keep an eye on the chickpeas as they roast. Canola oil has a lower smoking point than grapeseed or safflower oil at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, so you should reduce the heat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit if using canola oil, and extend the baking time by about 5-10 minutes or until the chickpeas are sufficiently browned and crunchy.

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